Spring operated animal traps having movable jaws are used to trap a variety of wild animals. Examples of spring biased traps are disclosed by Harrington in U.S. Pat. No. 1,029,992 and Beaulieu of U.S. Pat. No. 3,057,111. These traps have centrally located trigger mechanisms and springs which close pair of jaws when the trigger mechanism is released. These types of traps are operable to catch and hold the foot of an animal. In the event the animal escapes from the trap, there is considerable damage to the foot of the animal. These types of traps do not kill the animal so that the animal is subjected to considerable pain until the trapper services the trap.
Cratty in U.S. Pat. No. 1,442,385 discloses a trap operable to engage and hold an animal by contact with its body to insure against the animal releasing himself by gnawing off its foot or leg. This trap has two pairs of pivoted jaws that are actuated by separate coil springs. A centrally located treadle and holding mechanism is used to releasably hold the trap in its set position. A similar trap is shown by Layton in U.S. Pat. No. 1,296,407.
Johnson, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,407 describes an animal trap having a pair of arcuate red-shaped jaw members that are biased to a closed position with a spring. This trap includes a trigger mechanism to hold the jaws in their open position. When the animal trips the trigger mechanism, the spring closes the jaws so as to apply a strong pressure to the body cavity of the animal.